According to the report from Amadeus and Fastfuture, the future of
hotels features connectivity and personalization. The entire hospitality
industry is changing by tech savvy, Generation Y and following generations.
Smart hotels become the new trend with the implementation of various
technologies and innovation(Figure 1). These technologies and innovation not
only improve the operation process but also improve the service quality and
meet guest preferences better. The article will give you a precise explanation
about this trend with some examples of newly-used technologies in smart hotels.
Figure 1.
Source: http://www.amadeus.com/web/binaries/blobs/173/754/Hotels_Whitepaper_2020BeyondSegmentation.pdf
Mobile Technologies
The number of smart phones and tablets users are increasing
dramatically worldwide in recent years and it will continue growing in the
future. Some hoteliers realize the change of visitor behavior and take
advantage of it.
By the end of 2014, 1000 Accor hotels will use tablets and smart
phones to provide fast check-in and check-out services. Customers will receive
practical location information of the hotel and do check-in before arrival.
Receptionists will interact with clients directly in the entrance instead of
hiding behind the desk. It is time-saving
because room keys will be prepared before customers arrival and the bill
will be delivered by email after leaving. (Figure 2.)
Figure 2.
Intercontinental Hotel Group cooperates with Samsung Company to use
Galaxy phone as a room key to access rooms. Customers can also use it inside
the room to control temperature, lights, TV; order room service and meals; read
news as well as make local and international calls.
The Hub Hotel by Premier Inn is a new hotel established in 2014. It
makes guests’ hotel experience highly
interacts with technology, which allows guests book rooms, check-in, order
meals, search location information, make friends and control the room
facilities with mobile phone and the hotel app.
Comparing to traditional ways it is more convenient and secure for
both hoteliers and guests. However, there exists a big problem. Travelers may
have not internet access in the destination and in some places wifi coverage is
very limited.
Smart TV and Smart Glass
Many companies work on smart hotel TV systems, such as Samsung,
Philips and Guesttek. It is used widely from hotel booking to check-out. With
the technology guests can contact with the concierge directly in room through
the screen on the wall like video chat. For customers, the face to face
communication implies reliability and personalization. The concierge could
provide personal service, send personal messages, and answer questions anytime
customer want, so that customer satisfaction will increase. In addition,
clients can watch the view of the destination, the street, the public place of
the hotel and play games on smart TV.
In the future, it will be more difficult for customers to tell the
difference between mirror, glass, TV and wall, because they will change to each
others by just a gesture. In the Eccleston Square Hotel in
London, the transparent glass can be changed to a non-transparent wall and
the mirror can be changed to a smart TV by just a gesture.
Customers can benefit a lot from smart TV and smart Glass. Although
the technology is not mature yet and the
implementation costs a lot of money, it will be popular in the future.
In Room Entertainment Technologies
The competition among hotels is becoming more and more intense,
especially luxury and boutique hotels. They want to be outstanding and unique,
not only be considered as an accommodation but also as a destination. As a
result, in room entertainment is one of the most important elements. In
Eccleston Square Hotel, the bed can be changed into a massage bed.
Moreover, the pattern of the carpet can be changed into whatever you
like. IPhones can be hanged wherever, even on the smooth wall. Clients can
watch 3D TV programs and movies from smart TV and also play games. All of these
improve customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.
No doubt that more and more technologies will be integrated within
hotels in the future from reservation to check-out process. Smart hotels will
be welcomed by the younger generations who are more easily to accept
information technologies and innovation than their parents. However, some
people worried that new technologies may bring new problems. For example, if
the guest lose the smart phone, it means that he or she also lose the key for
the hotel room. Moreover, privacy issues also should be pay highly attention on
when using high technologies. Therefore, there must be a test before
implementing a new technology in hotel in order to make sure everything will go
smoothly. In addition, new policies and systems should be created cooperating
with new technologies to avoid conflicts on the safety, privacy and right of
customers.
Xiuting & Cong
No comments:
Post a Comment